'No spies in SA/Zim NGOs'
2005-11-20 19:10
Special Report
Zimbabwe's constitutional affairs minister has cast doubt on President Robert Mugabe's bid to hold elections this year.
A dusty road leads to the village of Wedza, where veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war eke out a meagre living on their farm cooperative, which after a promising start now brings only despair.
Johannesburg - The intelligence ministry has denied reports that South Africa's spy services are co-operating with Zimbabwe on the monitoring of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Spokesperson Lorna Daniels said the issue of NGOs had not come up in bilateral talks with Zimbabwe last week.
"We will only investigate an organisation if it aims to undermine constitutional democracy," Daniels said.
The Sunday Times reported that, according to Zimbabwe's director of intelligence, Aggrey Maringa, South Africa was sharing with Zimbabwe intelligence on NGOs operating simultaneously in both countries.
This prompted the Democratic Alliance to ask "whether what Mr Maringa has said is in fact the case?"
DA spokesperson Rafeek Shah said South Africa had to treat with the greatest reserve any information given to them by Zimbabwe.
"It must be remembered that the Zimbabwean government's current understanding of human rights and legitimate comment and criticism is grossly dysfunctional," he said.
"They regard even the mildest criticism as being treasonous, and president (Robert) Mugabe is notorious for making hysterical accusations that foreign-funded NGOs are trying to overthrow his government.
"South Africa must not fall into that trap. People and organisations have the fullest right to operate within the bounds of our constitution and our law, and if they are critical of the Zimbabwean government, this is probably a plus factor rather than a negative."
The prospect of South Africa sharing intelligence on NGOs with Zimbabwe was made "even more dismal" in that it followed on remarks by President Thabo Mbeki - in particular his claim that some NGOs had been funded to "challenge the ANC on this issue or that issue" - echoing Mugabe's own conspiracy theories.
Uses old aircraft
Shah said the DA was also concerned about South Africa strengthening its relations with "a military that is responsible for ongoing human rights abuses by bringing in Zimbabwean trainers to teach South African pilots."
There were serious questions about whether the Zimbabwean trainers were suited for the job.
"The Zimbabwean air force, for the most part, uses Second World War-era planes, as well as Russian and Chinese fighters and helicopters, and it is not clear whether their trainers would be able to help our trainee pilots to use the technologically advanced European aircraft, such as the Hawks and the Gripens, that the SAAF has recently acquired."
- SAPA